Happy Valentine's Day !!!

Adapted from: The New York Times

Happy Valentine's Day my friends, family, and readers of Top Notch Eats. I do like Valentine's Day. I don't need 8 dozen roses, diamond earrings, chocolates or whatever else is associated with Valentine's Day. I do however use the day as an excuse to spend time with my husband no matter what our schedules look like. We just agree to make sure we spend the day together and enjoy a quality day with one another.

Red Velvet Heart Whoopie Pies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Then sift together 1 cup of cake flour, 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa, and 1/2 tsp of salt.

Then mix together 2/3 cup of canola oil and 3/4 cup of sugar in a separate bowl.

Add in one egg and mix through.

Then add in about 2 tbs of gel food coloring until you achieve the right red velvety kind of color...

Then add in 1 tsp of vanilla.

The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of buttermilk. The buttermilk I did have was a few days past its due date and I didn't want to risk it. I used a 1/2 cup of 1% milk and it came out perfectly. Add that it in next and mix through.

Then add in your cake/cocoa mixture half at a time before you add more make sure the first round was completely incorporated.

The originally recipe also called to pour the batter in foil heart molds. I on the other hand make a sheet cake out of it and then use a heart cookie cutter to make the hearts for the whoopie pies !!!

While I was baking away this morning I forgot two of the ingredients. A professional cook/baker may tell you to take it back out of the pan and mix in like the directions suggested. I just pour in the 3/4 tsp of white vinegar and the 1/2 tsp of baking soda and mixed it through in the pan with a fork until it was completely incorporated. Guess What ?!?!? It totally worked out fine. Even though I had forgotten some ingredients I didn't panic and I worked with what I had.

Keep and eye on your cake or molds when you put them in. It should take about 15 minutes. But everyone's oven is different so just keep an eye on it and test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.

Then you will need to mix up your Icing. Begin by mixing with your hand blender 3 tbs butter, 1 8oz cream cheese package, about 1 lb of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Then take one of your heart cut-outs and spread some icing inside.

Put the other heart on top to complete your masterpiece and you have yourself one hell of a whoopie pie !!!

Happy Valentine's Day friends !!

Enjoy !!!